Direct Question
by SamCyberCat
Summary: Asuka often wondered about Ryo’s relationship with her brother, so she caught him at a time when he could only be honest to her. Ryo x Fubuki, Asuka's POV.


Notes: For the gx100. Set during season one, before the Seven Stars. I like Asuka's role in the relationship between Ryo and Fubuki so she may turn up from time to time in some of these.

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The only time Ryo ever expressed himself was at the lighthouse, and that was why Asuka trudged there everyday to speak to him. Because somehow he had been her brother's closest friend, and therefore he was the only person who could possibly understand her when she talked about him.

Although initially she'd only wanted to talk to him because of her brother she had hoped that over time she would get to know Ryo as a person too. But this had not been an easy task. The boy had almost seemed more adamant to talk about her brother than she was. Most topics seemed to trail back to Fubuki.

She had wondered exactly how close the two of them were. Fubuki had told her that Ryo was a good friend, but Fubuki was very vague about everything. Or he had been before he'd gone away…

And Ryo was the opposite problem. Any question asked to him would be replied with a short, sharp answer and that would be the end of it. But at least Ryo idid/i answer questions instead of vaguely edging around the subject.

So if she wanted to ask either of them about their friendship he'd be the best bet. Not as if she particularly had an option right now.

So she walked down to the lighthouse. He was already there, but then he always was. And he always stayed longer than she did too. At least he was considerate enough to call their meetings short should it start to rain, but tonight it was not raining, merely windy. She absentmindedly pulled her skirt back to right as the wind pulled it to the side a little. Mentally she thanked that the academia issue skirts were made of a material so stiff that it didn't allow for much movement.

Ryo on the other hand didn't seem to care that the tail of his coat or his hair was being swept by the breeze. He just stood there looking out to sea as he always was.

As she reached him he made a small nod of acknowledgement but didn't look at her. As usual it was her job to start the conversation, though in this situation that worked to her advantage.

"How close were you and my brother Ryo?" she asked, sounding casual.

He looked at her and frowned. They'd had similar conversations countless times before.

But before he could make any sort of comment she cut in to elaborate, "I mean how close were you really? He said you were good friends, but is that truly all of it?"

His eyes faltered for a moment too long. The lighthouse left him powerless. This was the only place where he and Asuka spoke openly to each other and if he lied to her now the bond it provided would be broken. He was backed into a corner.

"We were…" And he paused. Ryo often paused before answering because he was the sort of person who considered his responses. He wasn't impulsive and that was why she enjoyed their talks. But this pause ran on too long. She was considering pressing him once more but then he spoke again.

"…Closer than anyone, at least on my part. I can't speak for him but I found it easier to be open around him than I did anyone else. Even my parents, even my brother, though in the case of the former that wasn't particularly hard. And as sorry as I am to say it, even more than I can be with you."

She felt a pang of annoyance to hear that, but he rarely went into detail like this on a comment so she allowed it to pass.

"If I'd never met him I'm certain I'd be more reclusive than I am now even."

That seemed to be the end of it so she continued, "But were you… involved in him in another way. A more…" the word felt alien on her tongue, "…romantic way?"

So she had him powerless to the force of honesty. He smiled. She was getting almost as devious as her brother in her own way.

His head tilted towards the sky and her gaze followed his. As it did a drop of water fell onto her nose.

"It's starting to rain, we should go," he said, turning to leave as if this ended their discussion as it always did.

She stared after him in disbelief. How come even when she had him at the lighthouse, the place of truth for them, he somehow managed to worm his way out of actually saying any truth? Was the weather on his side too?

She shook her head. It had been too easy to expect an answer to such a direct question anyway. Extracting an answer from Ryo took more than that. She would not give up at this. She would prove that she was not powerless to the rain, just as Ryo was not powerless to her questions.


End file.
